Adidas Nizza High OT Tech is an excellent variation on a shoe we’ve been ambivalent about in the past, providing you can avoid the temptation to make them zip-ups. Every Originals Tokyo Technology piece has been interesting so far, and the Forums a few months back were some of the best we’ve ever seen. It’s hard to get particularly attached to the Nizza. It’s been around for years. For a few seconds we thought we clocked a pair of the outtakes from the ‘Born To Run’ photo sessions. Turns out we were wrong. We’ve seen them in Brian De Palma’s telekinetic menstrual murder-fest ‘Carrie’ for a few second, but what’s the shoe’s real intent? It was always just, well…there. Was it introduced as a casual, budget design from the get-go? In the early ’70s we just can’t envision anyone picking up a pair over other pieces in adidas’s relentless slew of basketball innovations. It never excited us.

We can appreciate the sublime canvas white and adi blue versions, plus the LimitEDitions and Porter efforts. But often it’s just a simple shoe that struggles to top our Sk8-Hi, Blazer and All Star love when it comes to the (very) basics. Still, the sheer volume of colourways the Five Two-3 campaign instigated made us look at the Nizza differently (on that topic, we saw the sample but did the Wu Def Jam tie-in ever go on sale with the inspired ‘NZA’ heeltab?) and that aforementioned Porter piece flew out the Crooked store fast. Somehow, this silhouette takes to a Far Eastern aesthetic with ease. Keep it clean, focus on the fabrics and boom. Oh, and give it some Visvim Kiefer cues too. This OT Tech trio expands on that concept, just as the olive Porter sequel hits select stores far, far away.

Some good use of striping, piping, correlating white heels and premium leather makes these some of the best Nizzas to date. The blues really hit the hardest once you see them in the flesh. The nylon lining feels slightly more padded for extra comfort too. The whole zip concept is a reversal from that heel positioning—which serves a genuine purpose when it comes to no-nonsense hi-tops—and on the front, it’s less appealing. Still, if that’s your thing, you can add that panel and zip to your heart’s content. If you’re a lace traditionalist, the shoe still works well. All brands should follow the lead of these and the recent Nike SFB Zips—if you’re going to add something different, at least make it reversible. One of the best Originals releases of the year so far, set for an August release and available to pre-order now in the Crooked Tongues store.